Is $54,000 a good salary in Virginia?

$54,000 in Virginia provides a monthly take-home of approximately $3,554 after taxes. Across major Virginia cities, this salary is rated comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $745.

What is the cost of living on $54,000 in Virginia?

The average monthly living cost across major Virginia cities is approximately $2,809 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $54,000 take-home pay of $3,554/month, you would have roughly $745/month remaining.

Living in Virginia · 2026

Is $54,000 enough to live in Virginia?

Single adult · VA · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$3,554

Avg monthly expenses

$2,809

Avg monthly surplus

$745

Savings potential

~21%

After-tax take-home in Virginia

Gross salary$54,000

Federal income tax− $4,374

State income tax− $2,848

Social Security− $3,348

Medicare− $783

Annual take-home$42,647

Effective tax rate21.02%

How $54,000 feels in Virginia cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Virginia Beach

COL index: 1.15× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,450

Food

$462

Transport

$201

Utilities

$190

Healthcare

$230

Total: $2,533/mo

Surplus: $1,021/mo

Rent burden: 40.8% — High (35–50%)

Full Virginia Beach analysis →

Norfolk

COL index: 1.05× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,350

Food

$440

Transport

$184

Utilities

$173

Healthcare

$210

Total: $2,357/mo

Surplus: $1,197/mo

Rent burden: 38.0% — High (35–50%)

Full Norfolk analysis →

Chesapeake

COL index: 1.13× national avg

Comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,500

Food

$462

Transport

$198

Utilities

$186

Healthcare

$226

Total: $2,572/mo

Surplus: $982/mo

Rent burden: 42.2% — High (35–50%)

Full Chesapeake analysis →

Richmond

COL index: 0.87× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$900

Food

$449

Transport

$152

Utilities

$144

Healthcare

$174

Total: $1,819/mo

Surplus: $1,735/mo

Rent burden: 25.3% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Richmond analysis →

Arlington

COL index: 1.58× national avg

Very tight

Rent (1BR)

$2,400

Food

$682

Transport

$277

Utilities

$261

Healthcare

$316

Total: $3,936/mo

Surplus: $-382/mo

Rent burden: 67.5% — Unaffordable (> 50%)

Full Arlington analysis →

Alexandria

COL index: 1.48× national avg

Very tight

Rent (1BR)

$2,200

Food

$638

Transport

$259

Utilities

$244

Healthcare

$296

Total: $3,637/mo

Surplus: $-83/mo

Rent burden: 61.9% — Unaffordable (> 50%)

Full Alexandria analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,554 ($42,648/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$1,777

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,066

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$711

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$21,324

Wants / year

$12,794

Savings / year

$8,530

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Virginia Beach

Rent would consume 41% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 5.9/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $54,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with approximately $1,021/month (~29% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Virginia Beach's above-average cost of living (index: 1.15) means $54,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $46,957 in an average-cost US city, or $55,409 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$54,000 is slightly above the Virginia individual median of $51,200 (+5%). The state household median is $87,740.

State individual median

$51,200

+5%

State household median

$87,740

-38%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$54,000 vs. Virginia income benchmarks

Individual median (Virginia)

$51,200

+5% vs. this salary

Household median (Virginia)

$87,740

-38% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Virginia

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.